A thought provoking new study found a possible tie between the bacteria that lives in your stomach and obesity, diabetes and inflammation.

Hundreds of different types of bacteria live within our intestinal system to aid in the digestion process. To help regulate the movement and population of these bacteria, certain cells in our intestines are lined with special proteins called “toll-like receptors” (TLR5). Researchers noticed that mice who lacked the TLR5 protein weighed 15% more than normal mice. They were able to determine that in the absence of the TLR5 protein the intestinal bacteria quickly became overpopulated, triggering an low-grade inflammatory response from the body and this led to decreased insulin and glucose sensitivity Ultimately, the mice that lacked the TLR5 protein were far more likely to suffer from weight gain, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as elevated blood pressure.

While researchers are not entirely sure why certain mice lack the TLR5 protein, it is hypothesized that things like the increasing use of antibiotics, cleaner water, improved sanitation, and better overall hygiene could play a factor as they all influence intestinal bacteria. Further research is needed to determine if there is a way to use this information to help people fight metabolic syndrome, but it is an intriguing proposition that the bugs in our stomachs could be making us fat, raising our blood pressure and possibly even contributing to heart attack and stroke.

For more information, read “A Hidden Trigger of Obesity: Intestinal Bugs” by Alice Park Friday, published Mar. 05, 2010 in TIME Magazine. The article can be found at http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1969807,00.html?xid=rss-topstories.